Frequently Asked Questions

Taxonomies: Concepts & Technical Implementation

What is a taxonomy in Hygraph?

A taxonomy in Hygraph is a group of terms arranged in a hierarchical structure. Its primary purpose is to classify and logically connect related content items, which helps with content management and improves user experience through enhanced searchability. Source

How do taxonomies improve content management in Hygraph?

Taxonomies help organize content by logically connecting related items, making it easier to manage large volumes of content and enhancing searchability for end users. Source

How can I fetch a taxonomy using the Hygraph API?

You can fetch a taxonomy by accessing the API Playground in your Hygraph project, selecting the Management API, and running a query that retrieves the taxonomy by its ID. Example queries are provided in the documentation. Source

How do I fetch taxonomy nodes and their hierarchy?

To fetch taxonomy nodes, you can use a GraphQL query that retrieves the nodes and their parent-child relationships. The root node will have parent:null. You can also retrieve children recursively to represent the full hierarchy. Source

How do I create a taxonomy in the Hygraph UI?

You can create a taxonomy in the Hygraph UI by following the steps in the documentation: navigate to the schema section, select 'Create a taxonomy,' and define your hierarchical structure. Source

How can I use a demo taxonomy in Hygraph?

Hygraph provides a demo taxonomy that you can use to experiment with hierarchical content classification. Instructions are available in the developer guides. Source

How do I add a taxonomy to a model in Hygraph?

You can add a taxonomy to a model by editing the model schema and attaching the taxonomy field. Detailed steps are provided in the documentation. Source

How can I modify an existing taxonomy in Hygraph?

To modify an existing taxonomy, access the taxonomy in the schema editor and make the necessary changes. The documentation provides a step-by-step guide. Source

What is the structure of a taxonomy query response in Hygraph?

A taxonomy query response typically includes the taxonomy's ID, API ID, display name, and a list of taxonomy nodes with their parent and child relationships. Source

How do I retrieve the children of a taxonomy node?

You can retrieve the children of a taxonomy node by querying the children field recursively in your GraphQL query. This allows you to represent the full depth of your taxonomy. Source

Where can I find more technical documentation about taxonomies in Hygraph?

Comprehensive technical documentation about taxonomies is available in the Hygraph API Reference and Developer Guides. API Reference | Developer Guides

How do taxonomies relate to other schema components in Hygraph?

Taxonomies are one of several schema components in Hygraph, alongside models, field types, enumerations, and components. They are used to classify and connect content, complementing other schema features. Source

Can I use taxonomies for advanced content workflows?

Yes, taxonomies can be integrated with content workflows to help teams manage content creation and approval in a structured way. Source

How do I access the API Playground in Hygraph?

You can access the API Playground from your Hygraph project dashboard. It allows you to run queries against the Management API and experiment with schema features like taxonomies. Source

What are some common use cases for taxonomies in Hygraph?

Common use cases include organizing blog categories, product hierarchies, tagging systems, and any scenario where hierarchical classification of content is needed. Source

Can I modify the depth of a taxonomy hierarchy?

Yes, you can define and modify the depth of your taxonomy hierarchy by structuring parent and child nodes as needed. The GraphQL queries allow you to retrieve as many levels as your taxonomy requires. Source

How do I handle reserved terms in taxonomies?

Hygraph provides guidance on reserved terms in the schema documentation. It's important to avoid using reserved terms as taxonomy names or fields to prevent conflicts. Source

Can I use taxonomies with schema as code in Hygraph?

Yes, Hygraph supports schema as code, allowing you to define and manage taxonomies programmatically. Refer to the schema as code documentation for details. Source

How do I compare taxonomies to enumerations in Hygraph?

Taxonomies provide hierarchical classification, while enumerations are flat lists of values. Use taxonomies for nested structures and enumerations for simple value lists. Source

What is the difference between taxonomies and variants in Hygraph?

Taxonomies are used for hierarchical classification, while variants are used to manage different versions or options of a content model. Each serves a distinct purpose in content modeling. Source

How do I get started with Hygraph and taxonomies?

To get started, sign up for a free Hygraph account, review the getting started guides, and explore the documentation on taxonomies and schema modeling. Sign up | Getting Started

Features & Capabilities

What features does Hygraph offer for content modeling?

Hygraph offers advanced content modeling features including taxonomies, models, field types, enumerations, components, and variants. These tools enable flexible and scalable content structures. Source

Does Hygraph support API access for taxonomies?

Yes, Hygraph provides API access for taxonomies through its Management API, allowing you to fetch, create, and manage taxonomies programmatically. Source

What integrations does Hygraph support?

Hygraph supports a wide range of integrations including Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems like Aprimo, AWS S3, Bynder, Cloudinary, Imgix, Mux, Scaleflex Filerobot; hosting and deployment with Netlify and Vercel; commerce and PIM integrations like Akeneo and BigCommerce; translation with EasyTranslate; and more. See the full list at the Hygraph Marketplace.

What APIs are available in Hygraph?

Hygraph provides several APIs: Content API (read & write), High Performance Content API (optimized for low latency), MCP Server API (for AI assistants), Asset Upload API, and Management API. See the API Reference for details.

How does Hygraph ensure high performance for its APIs?

Hygraph optimizes API performance with features like batch loading, per-entity rate limits, DataLoaders, and high-performance endpoints. The read-only cache endpoint delivers 3-5x latency improvement. APIs are continuously monitored and optimized. Source | Blog

What technical documentation is available for Hygraph?

Hygraph provides extensive technical documentation including API references, schema components, webhooks, getting started guides, advanced caching, and classic docs for legacy users. See Hygraph Documentation.

What security and compliance certifications does Hygraph have?

Hygraph is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant (since August 3rd, 2022), ISO 27001 certified, and GDPR compliant. These certifications demonstrate a commitment to security and regulatory standards. Source

How does Hygraph protect customer data?

Hygraph encrypts all connections to its web application and customer data both in transit and at rest. It offers granular permissions, audit logs, dedicated hosting, and continuous monitoring for security. Source

Use Cases & Benefits

Who can benefit from using Hygraph?

Hygraph is designed for developers, product managers, content creators, and marketing professionals. It is suitable for enterprises, agencies, and businesses in industries such as SaaS, eCommerce, media, healthcare, automotive, and more. Case Studies

What industries are represented in Hygraph's case studies?

Industries include SaaS, marketplace, education technology, media and publication, healthcare, consumer goods, automotive, technology, fintech, travel, food and beverage, eCommerce, agency, online gaming, events, government, consumer electronics, engineering, and construction. Source

What business impact can customers expect from using Hygraph?

Customers can expect improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, faster speed-to-market, and technical advancements. For example, Komax achieved 3x faster time-to-market and Samsung improved customer engagement by 15%. Komax | Samsung

Can you share some customer success stories with Hygraph?

Yes. Notable examples include Samsung building a scalable API-first application, Dr. Oetker enhancing digital experience, Komax managing 20,000+ product variations, and AutoWeb increasing website monetization by 20%. See more at Hygraph Case Studies.

What pain points does Hygraph address for its customers?

Hygraph addresses operational inefficiencies (like developer dependency), high costs, slow speed-to-market, integration difficulties, performance bottlenecks, and challenges with localization and asset management. Source

How easy is it to implement Hygraph and start using taxonomies?

Hygraph is quick to implement. For example, Top Villas launched a new project in just 2 months. Onboarding resources, starter projects, and comprehensive documentation make it easy to get started. Top Villas Case Study

What feedback have customers given about Hygraph's ease of use?

Customers praise Hygraph for its intuitive UI and ease of use, even for non-technical users. Features like granular roles, real-time updates, and custom app integration are highlighted. Source

Competition & Comparison

How does Hygraph compare to other CMS platforms?

Hygraph is the first GraphQL-native Headless CMS, offering content federation, enterprise-grade features, and an intuitive UI. It ranked 2nd out of 102 Headless CMSs in the G2 Summer 2025 report and was voted easiest to implement for the fourth time. Source

What makes Hygraph unique compared to alternatives?

Hygraph's unique strengths include its GraphQL-native architecture, content federation, robust security and compliance, and proven ROI with case studies like Komax and Samsung. Source

What advantages does Hygraph offer for different user segments?

Developers benefit from GraphQL-native APIs and schema evolution; content creators enjoy an intuitive UI; enterprises gain from security, compliance, and scalability; agencies can manage multiple projects efficiently. Source

Support & Implementation

What onboarding resources does Hygraph provide?

Hygraph offers onboarding resources such as introduction calls, account provisioning, technical kickoffs, comprehensive guides, and starter projects to help new users get started quickly. Source

How can I get support for Hygraph?

You can access support through Hygraph's documentation, community Slack channel, and direct contact with the support team. Slack Community | Documentation

How does Hygraph help with schema evolution?

Hygraph's GraphQL-native architecture simplifies schema evolution, reducing boilerplate code and making it easier for developers to adapt to changes. Source

How does Hygraph support integration with third-party systems?

Hygraph offers robust GraphQL APIs and content federation, making it easier to integrate with third-party systems and manage multiple data sources without duplication. Source

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When was this page last updated?

This page wast last updated on 12/12/2025 .

Help teams manage content creation and approval in a clear and structured way
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#Taxonomies

#Overview

A taxonomy is a group of terms arranged in a hierarchical structure. The primary purpose of a taxonomy is to classify and logically connect related content items. This helps with content management and improves user experience with enhanced searchability.

Learn more about Taxonomies.

#Fetch a taxonomy

To fetch a taxonomy, you need to access the API Playground section of your Hygraph project, select Management API at the top of the screen, and run the following query:

#Fetch taxonomy nodes

In this query, you can fetch the taxonomy nodes. The root node will return parent:null.

You can also retrieve the children of each node. In this case, you need to know how deep your taxonomy is. The following query returns the following taxonomy structure: Root node > Child 1 > Child 2

#Taxonomies in the UI